​As part of the “Qatar Beautification and Our Kids Planting Trees” campaign launched by the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar to “Plant Million Trees” in coordination with the Ministry of Municipality and Environent, and in conjunction with the Qatari Human Rights Day, a group of students from Newton International School (Lagoona) joined the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ today 12 November 2019, in planting 60 trees at Al Khor Road Project.

The event was attended by representatives from the National Human Rights Committee, including Mr. Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali, Assistant Secretary-General of the Committee, Mr. Hamad Majid Al Marzouqi, Manager of Administrative and Financial Affairs Department, and Mr. Muhammed Safran, Deputy Manager of Public Relations and Media Department. The event was also attended by Mr. Abdulla Saad Al Saad, Manager of Public Relations and Communications Department at Ashghal, Mr. Muhammed Al Shahwani, Acting Head of Al Khor & Al Thakhira Municipality Gardens Section, and Ms. Trudy Mastran, Principal of Newton International School-Lagoona.

On this occasion, Mr. Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee, said: “National institutions play an important role in the implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Sustainable Development Objectives, including climate action and life on land.” He added “The Ashghal-led planting campaign is one of the efforts to integrate disaster risk reduction measures into national strategies in light of the drought and desertification that are sweeping the world at alarming increases every year, posing a major threat to the common heritage of all mankind.”

Al-Jamali praised the great efforts exerted by all parties in the field of environmental protection, pointing out that preserving the environment and participating in its prosperity is an important part of the collective responsibility towards future generations, saying: "Providing a safe, healthy and safe environment is an integral part of the rights guaranteed to human beings, hence the keenness of the National Human Rights Commission to participate in this event." He stressed that the protection of the environment is a responsibility shared by all state institutions with the participation of the community at the same time; being part of the culture of citizenship of which the National Committee is keen to devote to society through many educational activities and awareness events.”

For his part, Mr. Abdulla Saad Al Saad, Manager of Public Relations and Communications Department at Ashghal said: “Ashghal is keen to focus on the environmental dimension of its projects and not just the engineering or construction sides, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, which establishes a balance between the economic, urban and social development, and the environmental sustainability. We are keen to activate our role in raising the community’s awareness on the importance of preserving the Qatari environment and contributing to its prosperity, as well as encouraging people to plant trees; being the natural lung of the earth.” Mr. Abdulla added: “Treated water is used to irrigate the trees and green areas that we are planting, which is an additional factor that contributes to the protection of the environment and enhances sustainability through the use of renewable sources and the conservation of water.”

Mr. Mohammed Al Shahwani, Acting Head of Al Khor and Al Thakhira Municipality’s Gardens Section said: “Planting trees has an essential role in improving the quality of life both in terms of health as it contributes to the purification of air and increase oxygen, or aesthetically by improving the overall image of the country. We hope to see more of these efforts with the cooperation of all parties.”

Mrs. Trudie Masterson, Principal of Newton International School-Lagoona, expressed her happiness with the great interaction witnessed by the “Qatar Beautification and Our Kids Planting Trees” campaign, and said: “We are excited to be involved in tree planting within the program to contribute to the strengthening of Qatar's ecosystem, and we are delighted that we have been invited to today's event.”

The participating students were very enthusiastic at the event, including student Mohanna Ali Al-Naimi, who said: "I loved planting trees and I loved participating in beautifying my country.". "We came today to plant trees and preserve the environment of our country," said student Adam Omar al-Kubaisi.

Al Khor Road
It is worth mentioning that the 33-kilometer Al Khor road, which was implemented by Ashghal as part of the expressway programme, is characterized by its vital location, serving more than 20 residential areas such as Al Khor, Doha, Simaisma and Lusail. The road is directly connected to major roads such as Tarfa Road, Al Majd Road and Qatar University Street. Al Khor Road offers direct links to Al Bait Stadium and Lusail Stadium, as well as a railway track (Qatar Rail) along the road.

The project includes landscaping covering 3.5 million square metres, more than 30,000 trees and street furnishings including 100 benches and 80 bicycles. The project also offers 33 km of pedestrian and bicycle paths, as well as a 33 km Olympic cycle path.

“Qatar Beautification and Our Kids Planting Trees” Campaign
The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar is implementing “Qatar Beautification and Our Kids Planting Trees” campaign, which will continue until the end of 2021, through weekly events to plant trees in the country with participation of students from various schools and educational levels, with the aim of increasing their awareness on the importance of preserving the environment and contributing to its prosperity.

The Committee is responsible for five major tasks including construction of central public parks, provision of dedicated lanes for pedestrians and bicycles, development of the Doha Corniche, development of Central Doha, and increasing afforestation and greenery areas, in coordination with several ministries and other entities in the country.